Now those who follow me have understood it : Texas is my reference state for quality music. Not that other states do not come from exceptional artists, indeed! But those who come from this land so narrow between the canyons, the desert and immense plains, have something more. Being a Texan is not just a geographical affiliation, it’s a feeling and that’s why sometimes they seem to be so arrogant or snobby when talking about their land, but in music they have an extra march. In Texas country music is strongly rooted but has strong influences from blues, rock and has that something more than in other states is not found, perhaps only in Oklahoma. And in fact, the red dirt country was born right on the back of these two states. Feelings of independence and freedom are the basis of Texas-style. The love for live music has no equal in the world, cities like Austin, Fort Worth or Luckenbach are devoted to 100% live music, places where there are mythical venues, festivals that last entire days and where life flows to the rhythm of music, Here you look for real music, sincere and heartfelt, not aimed at radios but playing in places like Luckenbach is a guarantee of quality and Drew Moreland has this seal, he was one who played regularly for this audience, a demanding audience that saw live Waylon Jennings, Cody Jinks and lots of others. This record debut of his 2018 must be absolutely discovered. A declaration of love that already starts from the cover where there is a road map of the Lone Star State but you find his love for Texas all over from lyrics to music. Moreland is 100% Texas sound, an outlaw that seems out of the ’70s arm in arm with the late Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver. Together with his band, Neon Hustle, Drew gives us 9 beautiful pieces, played great, stories of grasslands and large spaces, love and temptations, values anchored to tradition and lots of honky tonk. Road Stone that opens the record is a country outlaw that you can not more Texan, pedal-steel guitar and so much dust of the desert, with the people of Texas trying to resist the modern that advances and what about God & Cash? The title is a program, a sermon on what really matters in the life of the Texans, told by his voice not powerful, not exceptional but perfect for the stories he wants to tell while the ride of harmonica and guitar accompanies us in the desert. Country classic while he talks about his land in Thumbing My Way Across Texas, of those inspired by the greats of the past and could not miss an ode to the great love violin, pedal-steel in Whiskey, Cigarettes and Guitars. Honky tonk invading the speakers and you wish it didn’t end so fast, fun and intense. True stories, of what people around here live every day and want to hear, now this music has been cleared into every part of the world, thanks to the greatest artists of the caliber of Cody Jinks and Dallas Moore, but it is here that it is felt as an anthem to their lives, to their countries, to the locals. Splendid the ballad that is almost a dedication to the musical genre that inspired the good Drew, Prayer of an Outlaw does not invent anything but hearing it is a medicine for souls in search of real music and someone who does not make regret the greats of the past. The road-song You Call It Texas, I Call It Home is an ode to its roots, between dust and highways, honky tonk flavor and lots of rock and roll. We can love it even if we are not Texans indeed we identify ourselves in a state suspended between poetry and hard life, a musical feeling that when it takes you no longer leaves you. A really excellent debut followed by an excellent EP released in 2020 that demonstrates the talent of true songwriter. We wait for the next test and in the meantime we shout loudly : God bless Texas!
Good listening,
Trex Willer by http://www.ticinonotizie.it
(you can find original italian article at this link : https://www.ticinonotizie.it/ascoltati-da-noi-per-voi-by-trex-roads-drew-moreland-drew-moreland-2018/?fbclid=IwAR3dT56R585ItZZv7R28NkPyIl7QdN9-C2YdNwZXjM_ajdduy2ZMsB5XK3g )
